


Safe and Secure

by striketrue



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mostly Gen, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 06:10:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17616992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/striketrue/pseuds/striketrue
Summary: Bucky wakes up to the sound of rain, and the smell of vanilla and lavender. But the universe can't let him have just one good thing, can it?





	Safe and Secure

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a thought I had, where people who got trapped in the soul stone after the snap are stuck in a loop of a nightmare, until they realize it's not real. Not canon, but i don't care, I write what I want.

His eyes flutter open, and he realizes where he is. In bed, with Steve. He’s safe, and he knows it. He doesn’t flick his eyes to the door, and the windows, doesn’t listen for noises in the hall. He doesn’t hold his breath and hope. He’s safe, he knows he’s safe, and he feels safe. He vaguely registers the raindrops sliding down the window panes, how they distort the morning light on Steve’s face just a bit, or how they sound when they hit the ground outside. He feels cold air on his nose, so he presses his face to Steve’s neck. He smells like vanilla and honey, not like cigarettes and gunpowder, like he used to when he fought. Bucky wonders what he smells like, and considers asking, but when he looks at the way Steve’s lashes threaten to brush against his cheeks, the thought of waking him seems like a heinous crime, so he saves the question in the back of his mind for later. He doesn’t know what time it is, probably morning, and if he gave it thought, he could say what time within about half an hour. But the lazy summer sun makes him drowsy, and he opts instead to just lay there, being safe, and feeling secure. Nowhere to be.

_Nowhere to run._

The thought cuts through his haze, and leaves a chill in his bones. He fights the panic dragging his heart down into his stomach. He runs his hand across Steve’s face, gently, in admiration.

_He should have woken up._

Steve’s a light sleeper, he should be awake. He presses his palm against Steve’s cheek, but it’s cold. He jumps out of bed, and lunges towards a window, he crashes through and-

His eyes flutter open, and he realizes where he is. In bed, with Steve. He’s safe, and he knows it. He’s safe. He’s safe?

Steve is still cold, and Bucky jumps out of bed. He lunges through the other window, crashes through and-

His eyes flutter open, and he realizes where he is. In bed, with Steve, who’s lying cold. Bucky jumps out of bed, and runs for the door. He pulls at the knob, but it’s locked. He throws himself against the door frantically, and it splinters into nothing, and-

His eyes flutter open, and he realizes where he is. This can’t be real. He feels his back press against the wall, and he slides down. He can’t calm his breathing, he can’t calm down, he can’t, he can’t. He curls into himself, and tells himself that it’s not real. This can’t be real. “This isn’t real!” he screams, so loud that his voice doesn’t even crack, it shatters. The room crumbles to dust, Steve with it, and he’s alone, in a vast gray sea.

_Safe and secure._


End file.
